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Dixon Unified and Solano County outline PBIS rollout to strengthen school climate
Summary
Solano County Office and Dixon Unified staff described a districtwide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) framework, tiered training and fidelity measures; county and district staff said PBIS centers equity, team‑based problem solving and ongoing fidelity and outcome data collection.
Jen Buslich, coordinator of prevention and intervention with the Solano County Office of Education, and Dixon Unified pupil services coordinator Nicole Huff presented a districtwide PBIS plan to the Board, describing a multi‑tiered framework intended to create predictable, consistent and positive school environments.
The presenters said PBIS is an evidence‑based framework that focuses first on universal (tier 1) systems, then layered supports (tier 2) and individualized interventions (tier 3) for students who need more intensive help. Buslich framed PBIS as environmental work, asking presenters to “fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower,” and emphasized that equity must be central to planning.
Nut graf: Why this matters — District leaders said PBIS is intended to reduce exclusions, increase social‑emotional competence and improve academic outcomes by aligning schoolwide expectations, teaching behavior explicitly and monitoring both fidelity (adult implementation measures) and outcomes (student behavior and academic indicators).
Presenters described five interrelated elements that guide PBIS implementation: equity, systems (supports for adults and infrastructure), practices (the student‑facing lessons and routines), data practices (fidelity and outcome measures) and outcomes. Buslich said the tiered fidelity inventory (TFI) tool, which the county administered this fall, assesses school implementation and that a 70 percent TFI score is an indicator that schools will generally show positive student outcomes.
Nicole Huff reviewed a calendar of upcoming work: tier‑1 and tier‑2 trainings scheduled through January and into the spring, a survey window open Jan. 6–30 to gather staff, student and parent feedback on school climate, and plans to deliver four trainings for each tier through the remainder of the year. She said Anderson and John Knight have tier‑1 teams in place and that Tremont, Gretchen Higgins, Dixon High and Maine Prairie are engaged in tier‑2 work.
Board members asked operational questions: whether Montessori participates (Buslich said Dixon Montessori contracts for county support and uses i‑Ready but she could not confirm all assessments), how fidelity is measured in practice (Buslich described classroom‑level checks such as asking students why they received an acknowledgment coupon and using short staff surveys on lesson delivery), and how the district will sustain implementation given normal staffing turnover (presenters emphasized systems, training, coaching and data use).
Trustees and the superintendent emphasized the importance of making PBIS a district priority and converting past “squishy” efforts into a sustained, data‑driven program. The superintendent described PBIS as foundational — “akin to the very foundational tier of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs” — because students who do not feel safe or supported cannot learn effectively.
Ending: The Board received the presentation for information and asked staff to continue scheduled trainings, administer the climate surveys, monitor TFI results, and return with progress updates. No formal action was required at the meeting.
